On Javi

Met with Javi yesterday in halfmoon (like I've been trying to meet all my friends there, promotions tlga :), and the guy is glowing. He smiles more often... it suits him well. He really seems happier than the last time I met him. I'm envious actually.. he's happy because he has all the time now to do what he wants before settling down to work...learn Chinese and go to China (which is both what we dreamed of doing before, go to an AIESEC traineeship there, but learn the basics first here), read all those branding and business books lined up in the to-do list, join seminars, lose weight! All those things I really really want to do right now but can't because of work obviously....

I missed talking to Javi. He's the one who keeps me up my toes, especially when we were still LCPs. There was pressure for me to do exceptionally well, because it seems he always watches what I do. When we did Coaching for ateneo, I was mostly coaching just him, not the whole team. Our talks would go from purely AIESEC, to business, to what we both wanted to beyond our AIESEC careers... He was one who was so principled that he was always able to see beyond the operational requirements, but the vision and the big picture--why we do what we do and what values we should emulate to the members as well. I miss his idealism and zest, often misunderstood by many because he often keeps to himself. But to the rest of us who are lucky enough to know the real him, Javi sure is a one-of-a-kind individual...

In a way, I owe him thanks... He was able to inspire me, even in the briefest moment, to indulge and enjoy life more... Not to be drowned totally in work and in the harsh cynics and bureacuracy we encounter everyday, but to actually pursue those dreams we made back when we still had that youthful idealism...

Cheers, Javi! See you at our AIESEC dinner soon... :-)